Sound-producing mechanism for a child&#39;s amusement device



C. E. BARTHEL Dec. 1, 1959 SOUND-PRODUCING MECHANISM FOR A CHILD'SAMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed April 12, 1957 FIG?) INVENTOR CHARLES E. BARTHELATTORNEY United States Patent O SOUND-PRODUCING MECHANISM FOR A CHILDSAMUSEMENT DEVICE Charles E. Barthel, Westminster, Mass.

Application April 12, 1957, Serial No. 652,387

3 Claims. (Cl. 272-532) This invention relates to a sound-producingmechanism for a childs amusement device and in general the invention isparticularly adapted to be applied to a bouncing seat which may bespring-mounted or otherwise arranged for vertical motion under influenceof the child. More particularly, the seat may assume the form of ananimal such as a horse, and the primary object of the invention residesin the provision of sound-producing means associated with said device toimitate the sound of a horse trotting or galloping, although themechanism may be used to imitate other sounds also.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision ofsound-producing means which is substantially concealed within the bodyof the seat of a hobby-horse and which is automatically actuated by theaction of the seat of the hobby-horse in moving up-and-down under theinfluence of jouncing thereon on the part of the child. Other objectsand advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a View in elevation illustrating the invention, parts beingbroken away and in section;

Fig. 2 is a view in elevation on an enlarged scale showing thesound-producting mechanism; and

Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views with parts omitted and looking in thedirections of the respective arrows in Fig. 1.

In carrying out the present invention, it is to be understood that thesame may be applied to any seat or amusement device of the naturedescribed, but the invention has been illustrated as applied to ahobby-horse. This hobby-horse has a base and end supports 12 to whichare secured springs 14, there being a hollow horses body indicated at 16mounted on spaced, longitudinal bars 18 to which these springs areattached for vertical motion of the body 16 in the direction of thearrow A, as the child sits upon the horses back and jounces thereon. Ofcourse the springs allow some lateral and tilting motion also, and theconstruction of the invention is such that these motions do not disturbthe apparatus in any way but the same continues to make the wantedsounds as long as there is a component of vertical motion present.

The invention comprises a bar 20 loosely pivoted at 22 to the base 10and extending slantingly upwardly and forwardly into the body and hollowhead of the hobbyhorse. This bar is provided with an end portion 24provided with slanted teeth which engage lateral pins 26 on a rotarytoothed wheel 28 mounted between the side bars 18, of the hobby-horseand completely concealed inside the body.

As the horses body moves up and down, the bar 20 will cause the toothedwheel 28 to rotate intermittently in a counter-clockwise direction byengaging the pin 26 and bar 20 may be made to continuously engage thepins by means of a slotted guide-bar 30 and a spring 32'which areconveniently mounted on a cross-piece 34 in the body of the horse. Thebar 20 hasan end limit flange 36.

A leaf-spring 33 having a clapper 4i) and an actuator extension 42, ismounted in fixed relation at 44 also on a bar 18 within the body of thehorse, and when actuator 42 is moved downwardly and then released by atooth on the Wheel 28, the clapper 40 will snap back under influence ofthe spring 38 and strike the sound-block 46. This sound-block is alsoconveniently mounted by any means in fixed relation within the body ofthe horse, preferably between the bars 18.

It will be seen that the percussion noise occasioned by the clapperstriking the sound-block will imitate the sound of the horses hooves andthe sounds will take place according to the amount of up-and-downreciprocation of the horses body under influence of the child sittingthereon and jouncing upon it. These sounds can imitate the horses hoovesor they may be made to sound like a gun, so that the child can pretendto be shooting a toy pistol, or the like, or he may pretend that thenoises are those of the horses hooves in running or galloping.

By arranging the teeth 48 circumferentially of the wheel in irregularsequences, the sounds may be made in a sequence to imitate cantering,trotting, etc. By locating the bar 20 in the position shown, it willextend into the hollow head of the hobby-horse upon violent up-anddownmotion thereof, but in any case it will not strike the low, saddleportion of the hobby-horse at any time, regardless of the action of thehobby-horse.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do notwish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than asset forth in the claims, but What I claim is:

1. A childs amusement device comprising a base, springs on the base, ahollow seat floatingly mounted by the springs for vertical motion of theseat relative to the base, said seat being spaced vertically from thebase,

a bar on the base, said .bar being substantially exposed and having atoothed portion extending into the seat, a sound-block in the seat,means to strike the block to create a percussive sound, means to actuatethe sound-block striking means, said toothed bar being engaged with theactuating means and operating the same upon motion of the seat relativeto the frame.

2. A childs amusement device comprising a base, springs on the base, ahollow hobby-horse body floatingly mounted by the springs for verticalmotion of the body relative to the base, a toothed bar on the base, saidbar extending into the body, a sound-block in the body, resilientclapper means to strike the block to create a percussive sound, a rotarytoothed wheel to actuate the sound-block striking means, said toothedbar being engaged with the wheel and operating the same upon motion ofthe body on the frame, said bar extending into the head of the hollowhobby-horse body.

3. A childs amusement device comprising a base, springs on the base, ahollow headed body floatingly mounted by the springs for vertical motionof the body relative to the base, a toothed bar on the base, said barextending into the body, a sound-block in the body, resilient clappermeans to strike the block to create a percussive sound, a rotary toothedwheel to actuate the soundblock striking means, said toothed bar beingengaged with the wheel and operating the same upon motion of the body onthe frame, said bar having a free end extending into the head of thebody, means on the clapper at one side of the toothed Wheel and engagedby the teeth thereof seriatim to cause the clapper alternately to bedrawn from the sound-block and released to strike the same.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,604,895 Flood Oct. 26, 1926 2,609,640 Newell et al Sept. 9, 19522,625,395 Spangler Jan. 13, 1953 2,719,385 Wilson Oct. 4, 1955

